Fighting in a Love War
by CassyR5
Summary: "Who ever said there was anything wrong with being reckless?" Forced to attend a high school party by her friends, Ally finds herself in a situation she never expected. / Or, Austin & Ally play Seven Minutes in Heaven. / Post-Tunes & Trials. One-Shot.


**Summary: "Who ever said there was anything wrong with being reckless?" Forced to attend a high school party by her friends, Ally finds herself in a situation she never expected. / Or, Austin & Ally play Seven Minutes in Heaven. / Post-Tunes & Trials. One-Shot.**

 **A/N: Idk what this is. One day, I thought to myself, "You know what would be fun to write? A Seven Minutes in Heaven fanfiction," and this happened. Is it good? I don't really know. I'll let you guys be the judge of that.**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Austin & Ally or "Bloodsport '15" by Raleigh Ritchie (title).**

* * *

 _11:21PM_

It's like time is being stalled as Ally watches the bottle spin. It passes her three, four, five times before it starts to slow down, inching its way around the group until it finally stops right in front of –

Her.

She looks up in shock across the group of strangers, only to find his eyes looking at her with just as much alarm.

* * *

 _10:06PM_

Ally tugged her arm out of Trish's grip as soon as the door closed behind them. She took one look around the room and groaned.

"Are you guys really gonna make me stay for the whole thing?" she complained.

Trish, Austin, and Dez nodded simultaneously.

"We told you, we're not letting you leave until you experience at least one regular high school party," Trish replied. "Once this is over, we won't make you come to one ever again."

"Unless you actually enjoy it," Dez suggested. "Then you can come to them all you like."

Ally just rolled her eyes in annoyance. Like that would ever happen.

Trish tapped Dez on the arm. "Come on, I think they moved the drinks into the garage this year," she said. Looking at Austin, she asked, "Are you coming with us?"

He shrugged. "I'll meet you there in a minute," he replied, then watched as they walked down the hall towards the back of the house. Once gone, he turned to Ally next to him.

"Are you gonna be alright?" he asked.

She shrugged, refusing to meet his gaze. "I don't know." She paused. "Are you really gonna follow them back there?"

"Only once I know you're gonna be okay out here. Cause I know you don't want to go in there with us. Trust me, it's not pretty," he explained.

She sighed, then turned around to look at him.

"I'll be fine," she said. "You go have fun."

"Are you sure?" he asked.

She nodded. "I'm sure."

"Alright," he replied. Still, he hesitated for a few seconds until she finally had to shove him in the same direction Trish and Dez went earlier. With a faint laugh, he left.

Alone, Ally surveyed the room around her quietly, hoping to find someone familiar in the sea of unknown face from school. Not finding anyone, she spotted an empty seat in the far corner of the room, next to a side table with a lamp and some magazines atop it. Slowly walking over, she sat down in the couch beside the table, bored. Only two hours to go until it would all be over.

* * *

 _11:22PM_

She's not sure how to move until someone grips her arm and pulls her from the ground till she's properly standing. Ally looks over to see Trish beside her, mouthing words she can't hear.

"What?" she asks.

But her best friend just shakes her head, shoving her in the opposite direction of the group. She stumbles for a second before she's stopped by something solid, and looks up to see Austin looking down at her. He places his hands on her shoulders to steady her, then immediately pulls away and focuses his gaze on the door down the hall. She follows, watching as it comes closer without feeling herself move until she's standing right in front of it. A kid she'd never seen before tonight opens the door, waiting for them to walk in.

Together, they step inside.

* * *

 _10:29PM_

"...and do you know what she told me?" Trish asked Ally. Without waiting for a response, she answered, "She said she'd fire me if I did it again! Can you believe that?"

Only ten minutes passed after Ally sat down on the couch when Trish came back looking for her, a red cup in her hand, half full of what she assumed was beer. Right away, she flopped on the couch next to her and started angrily ranting about how Dez took the last of the good drinks, so she was stuck with taking the lousy beer from the keg they had. She was going to stay with the boys longer, but then Dez bumped into her and dumped her first cup on the ground, so after grabbing a new one, she left to find Ally. Now, she was complaining about her new job at the coffee shop in the mall (she only started it yesterday).

Trish took a sip from her cup. Grimacing, she placed it on the table in front of her, then looked at Ally and said, "I mean, I _know_ it wasn't the best idea to write that on the customer's cup, but can you blame me? After the way they ordered, they deserved it! And it's not like –" She stopped.

Ally looked at her friend. "Like what?" she asked.

"Do you see that guy over there?"

Ally followed Trish's gaze. Across the room, a group of four or five guys were standing by the window. Ally was about to ask which one she was talking about when she saw the taller of the group glace over at them. When he saw Trish looking at him, he nodded in her direction, as if asking her to come talk to him, then turned back to his friends.

"I'll be right back," Trish said, and without waiting for Ally to reply, got up and walked over to the group. Ally watched as she tapped the guy who was looking at her on the shoulder, then pointed towards the hallway heading outside. She gave Ally a quick thumbs up as she passed her on the way back to the garage and out of sight.

Just as Trish and the guy left the room, Austin walked in, searching for Ally. When he finally spotted her, he walked over and sat down beside her.

"I just saw Trish leave. What are you doing out here?" he asked her.

She shrugged. "Nothing," she said. "Watching everyone. Mostly listening to Trish complain about Dez and work."

"That sounds...like pretty much every day with her," he admits.

She just nods in response, looking down at her lap.

"Are you mad?"

Ally looks up. "Why?"

"You seem mad at us," he said. "Are you mad we made you come to this party?"

She sighed. "I don't know. Kind of?" she replied. "I mean, you told me what this was gonna be like, then proceeded to bug me until I finally agreed, and now I'm here, and it's a lot like you said it would be. I don't know what you were expecting, Austin."

"To have fun?" he suggested. When she glared at him, he continued, "Look, I'm sorry, alright? I guess I just thought you were feeling left out of this. It's always been the four of us, so when it's just me, Dez, and Trish hanging out, it feels kinda weird to me. It feels like we're missing something. Or did you not feel that way?"

She shook her head. "I've never looked at it that way till now, to tell you the truth. I don't like parties; you guys do. That's never bothered me."

"Oh."

"Yeah."

"Sorry."

"It's fine, Austin. Really," she said. "You don't have to keep apologizing."

"But I feel bad."

"I never said you shouldn't. I just said you should stop apologizing for it," she said. She watched him as he laughed at what she said, and it made her feel a little better.

As Austin laughed, he looked over to the middle of the room as most of the people still there began to sit down in a circle. One of them placed a bottle on the floor, then spun it until it landed on a girl sitting a few feet away from him. Everyone around, both sitting and standing, cheered as the guy moved close enough to kiss her. By the look on her face, Austin could tell she didn't know the guy very well, but that's what happened when you played this game.

Austin turned back to Ally next to him. "Did you wanna go play spin the bottle with them? It might be fun."

Ally actually scoffed at this. "Spin the bottle? Really, Austin?"

"I'm only trying to help," he said.

She laughed. "If you want to play, go for it. I'll watch from the safety of this couch."

"If you're so sure," he muttered, but nonetheless, stood up from his seat and walked over to the group to join them.

* * *

 _11:23PM_

The door closes behind them with a loud click. Ally doesn't even bother trying the handle, knowing they probably lock it so unwilling players can't escape. Instead, she stands still and quiet in the tight space of the closet, afraid one wrong step will send her toppling into either a box of unknown supplies or him.

She's not sure which would be worse.

* * *

 _10:57PM_

She had been watching the game of spin the bottle for ten minutes now, and so far, Austin has only spun twice. A few turns after that, Ally saw Trish walk back into the room with her guy from before. When she spotted Ally still on the couch, she walked over like she meant business.

"What are you doing all the way back here? The fun is over there!" she exclaimed, pointing to group still spinning the bottle.

Ally shrugged. "Watching. I don't need to sit in the group to watch."

"You don't need to _watch_ , period. Come on, you should play! That's the whole point of coming to this party in the first place, isn't it?"

"I thought the whole point of coming here was so that I could say I've been to a high school party," Ally retorted. "Well, I've been now. I don't think I need to actually _do_ anything."

But Trish wouldn't have this, and Ally couldn't stop her as she grabbed her by the arm and pulled her from the couch, dragging her to the group. Finding an empty space across from Austin, Trish sat them both down.

"What's everyone doing now?" Trish asked the girl beside her.

"We just started Seven Minutes in Heaven. We're waiting for the couple to come back," she told her. A few minutes later, two kids Ally recognized from school followed by a third guy she'd never seen before walked back into the room from the hallway. He stayed leaning against the wall by the entryway while the other two walked back to the group and spun the bottle. Everyone watched in silence as it spun until it landed on a random girl she didn't recognize. Then she spun, got paired with a boy Ally didn't know (again), and the two of them left the room with the third guy leaning on the wall leading the way.

Ally pointed down the hall after them. "Who's the guy with them?" she asked Trish.

Trish watched as he walked back into the room. "Oh, I think that's Scott. He's the host of the party, so he's probably just walking people to the right closet for the game."

Ally just nodded. While most of the people in the group just talked to their friends to pass the time, she stayed silent. This just wasn't her territory. These people, this place; all of it. Sure, she's heard about some interesting events at previous parties from Trish, but actually being a part of one was a whole other story.

Feeling bored, Ally pulled her phone from her pocket and clicked on the timer. She knew the two currently down the hall were almost done, but she could always set a seven minute timer for the next two. At least she'd have something to do, watching the numbers count down to zero and wonder what on Earth could be accomplished in such a short amount of time.

Finally, Ally looked up to see Scott leave the room and collect the two from before. They quickly returned, and everyone got excited as they watched the guy from the pair spin the bottle, only to have it land on the cute guy Trish had been talking to all night. It only got more surprising when he spun the bottle, and the person it landed on was the girl sitting right next to her.

She watched as Trish stood up with a smug smile and followed her cute guy out of the room. As she left, Ally caught Austin whispering to Dez next to him, who she never saw come in. She watched them until they finished talking, then caught Austin's eye as he looked in her direction.

He smiled at her, then mouthed the words, "You okay?"

She just nodded in response. As long as she never has to go in that closet, she'll be fine.

* * *

 _11:24PM_

Austin bumps into her as he tries to find the light switch.

"Sorry," he mutters. She doesn't say anything back, so he assumes she's okay, and continues his search. It's not easy in such a small space, and he can hardly move an inch without a part of him touching her.

Quickly, Ally figures out what he's doing, and joins in searching for a switch. She runs her hand along the wall on her side of the closet; coming up with nothing, she turns around and tries to find a cord in the middle of the room. Her hand finds his as he pulls something down, bathing them both in a dull florescent light. She meets his gaze.

"Hi," he says.

* * *

 _11:19PM_

Trish came back to the group looking more flushed than when she left.

"Do I wanna know what went on in there?" Ally asked as her best friend sat next to her.

Trish laughed. "Just a little fun," she replied, then leaned into the middle of the group to spin the bottle. It didn't spin for long until it found its next target, which happened to be none other than her other best friend sitting directly across from her.

Everyone still watching shouted, both with interest and jealousy. Though Austin hadn't been famous for long, he'd still become a well-known person in their school quickly. Ally knew most of the girls in this group would just love to be the one to go in that closet with him, and she was sure the guys knew this, too. The people here either wanted to be him or be with him. Ally couldn't help but fall into the latter category as she watched Austin grab the bottle and give it a strong twist with his hand, spinning it wildly around the group.

Time seemed to stall as she watched it spin. It must've passed her three, four, five times before the bottle finally started to slow down even more, inching its way around the group. She could've sworn it was pausing in front of each person it passed, testing to see if they would make a good victim, until it moved on to the next one. It only stopped for good when it finally reached...

Her.

* * *

 _11:25PM_

She smiles.

"Hi," she says.

Realizing she still has her hand over his, she lets go, then turns to take in the space around her. A couple boxes, a coat rack, and some shoes. Oh, and her best friend standing next to her.

Remembering this, she glances at him watching her, then sits on one of the boxes behind her. It only feels like cruel irony to her that they'd end up in here together. Stuck in a closet as a part of some sick game that tries to get people to behave in ways they would never do outside of it. Or maybe they would; she doesn't know. What she does know is that she's trapped in here with a guy she has feelings for that she can do nothing about for the next six minutes (and then the rest of their lives. But for now, she'll just focus on the six minutes).

"Are you okay?" Austin asks her slowly.

She looks up. "What?"

"Are you okay?" he repeats.

She nods. "I'm fine," she replies. "Just fine."

He laughs. "You don't sound fine."

She scoffs. "You sound surprised."

"Hey, it could've been worse," he says, sitting on the box across from her, "you could've ended up stuck with someone else."

 _So could've you_ , she thinks.

Aloud, she says, "I guess so."

A few seconds of silence pass before Austin speaks again.

"So, how are you feeling about the party now?"

She looks up and glares. "What do you think?" she asks.

"I'm guessing you aren't planning on coming to another one any time soon," he replies.

She sighs. "Maybe it wouldn't have been so bad if I actually liked the things that went on here. Or I wasn't stuck by myself for the first hour."

"Hey, you didn't have to be alone, you know," Austin says. "We would've stayed with you if you asked."

"But then you wouldn't have had _your_ kind of fun," Ally says.

Austin shrugs. "It wouldn't have made a difference to me. I have fun with you no matter what we're doing."

"Really?"

"Of course, Ally. Did you think I was friends with you for nothing?" he says. "I mean, you're my best friend."

"I thought Dez was your best friend," she replies.

"Dez is my best friend, too. But it's different with him, you know that."

"What do you mean?"

Austin pauses. "You know," he starts. "Dez is my friend, but he's _just_ my friend. With you, you're... Well, I mean, you're... And we're... You know."

Ally shakes her head with a laugh. "I have no idea what you're trying to tell me."

Austin sighs. "Well, you know how I feel about you, don't you?" he asks. "How I _still_ feel about you?" When Ally just shakes her head again, he continues, "You know I still like you. After writing Steal Your Heart, I thought you would've known that."

"But you said –"

"I _know_ what I said," he interjects. "And I still mean it. I love being your friend, but sometimes it doesn't feel like enough, you know? Sometimes I want to do something about that, like write a song. Or..." He looks down.

"Or what?"

He looks up. "Sometimes I wanna try again," he admits. Before she can respond, he says, "I know that's too risky, that putting our careers on the line like that isn't worth it, but sometimes I don't care about that. I only care about you, and wanting to be with you. You can't tell me you don't think about it, too. Or am I just talking crazy?"

Ally's quiet for a moment, taking in everything he said. It _is_ crazy, she thinks. But that doesn't mean she doesn't agree with what he said. It's not always easy being just friends with one the person you can't get out of your mind.

Before she can respond, though, Austin speaks up again.

"Never mind," he says. "Forget I said anything. It's probably just the party talking."

"Austin –"

"No, it's fine, Ally. I get it. I was being reckless," he says. "I just thought since we're stuck in here for the time being, we could at least talk about it. But if you don't feel the same way, then we can just sit here and do nothing all you like."

Ally lets out a faint laugh.

"What?"

"I never thought I'd be the one to say this, but can you please shut up already?"

Austin raises his eyebrows at her in surprise, and before he can utter another word, Ally leans in and kisses him full on the mouth. Almost as soon as she does, she pulls back.

"Who ever said there was anything wrong with being reckless?"

As soon as the words leave her mouth, Austin's lips are on hers in a hard kiss. In response, her arms wrap around his neck to hold him close while his hands run through her hair. He stands up, pulling her with him, and leans her against the wall. His hands trail down her neck and shoulders, down her side until resting at her waist. Her hands tangle in his hair as she pulls back for air, then parts her lips as his mouth meets hers again. His tongue is hot on hers, and she can taste the faint bitter flavour of alcohol in his mouth, making her dizzy.

He pulls back, and her breath of air quickly turns into a gasp as he starts kissing her cheek and down her neck. Reaching his hand up to her shoulder, he pushes her shirt sleeve aside as he places kisses along her collarbone, before making his way back up her neck. Feeling impatient, Ally tugs his lips back into hers in a deep kiss.

His hands back on her waist, he tightens his grip as he picks her up so she's level with him, and her legs wrap around his waist. When he pulls back for breath, this time it's her who starts trailing kisses down his neck. She reaches his collarbone, then kisses back up his neck, on his cheek, nose, and finally his lips again, deep and hungry for more. Her mind begins to cloud over – whether from the kissing or the lingering taste of alcohol he's left behind, she's not sure – and all she knows is her hands cupping his face and the feel of his mouth on hers and his arms holding her close and nothing about them makes sense anymore. She wants to stay in this moment with him for as long as she can, but their seven minutes are running out, and she hates herself for cutting it short when suddenly the sound of her phone's alarm goes off from her pocket.

Austin pulls back quickly, and his tone of voice when he speaks indicates he's just as annoyed as she is by the interruption.

"What is that?" he asks breathlessly.

Ally takes her phone out of her pocket and shuts off the alarm.

"Our time," she replies. "It's almost up."

Meeting his gaze with a knowing one, he takes a step away from the wall to set her back on her feet. There's less than a minute left of the game, but now they can hardly look each other in the eye, knowing there's not enough time in the world for them to say what needs to be said.

Bravely, Austin takes Ally's hand in his to get her attention.

Gripping it tight, he says, "So...what now?"

Ally sighs. "I don't know," she mutters. "Go back to normal, I guess?"

"You wanna pretend this never happened?" he asks.

She shrugs. "What other choice do we have, Austin? You said it yourself, it's too risky to try anything else." She pauses. "Look, I don't like this any more than you do. In fact, I _hate_ it. But for now, it's better this way. It's safer."

Austin takes a deep breath, quiet.

"Are you gonna be okay?" Ally asks.

"No," he replies. "Are you?"

"Not really."

"Then why –"

"You _know_ why."

He sighs. "I know."

Quietly, she says, "I'm sorry."

"Me, too," he agrees.

Pulling her hand out of his grip, she holds it out in front of her and says, "Friends?"

Austin laughs. Pushing her hand down, he pulls her close in a hug. Tentatively, she hugs him back.

"And partners," he says. "Always."

Their hug is cut short by the sound of a lock turning, and then the closet is filled with the light of the hallway as the door is opened by the party host.

"Come on, time's up," Scott says, waving them out impatiently.

Slowly, they let go of each other. Exchanging a look of both happiness and sorrow, they leave their small space of freedom to join the real world once again.

* * *

 **So, yeah, that's the story. Thanks for reading! Reviews are always cool.**


End file.
